Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between alignment technicians and industrial mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an alignment technician and an industrial mechanic. Additionally, an industrial mechanic has an average salary of $53,333, which is higher than the $38,020 average annual salary of an alignment technician.
The top three skills for an alignment technician include customer service, hand tools and power steering. The most important skills for an industrial mechanic are industrial maintenance, hand tools, and PLC.
| Alignment Technician | Industrial Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $38,020 | $53,333 |
| Hourly rate | $18.28 | $25.64 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 143,585 | 158,560 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 40 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Alignment Technicians are responsible for the alignment process of wheels and tires of a vehicle. Their duties include completing work repair orders, driving vehicles to the wheel alignment rack, and administering regular tests of the bent axle, bent steering rods, worn ball joints, and faulty wheel alignment. They are also involved in straightening axles, adjusting shims, straightening steering rods, and joining pins to undertake new parts installation or wheel alignment. They also perform counterweights hammering, shock absorber installations, and frame straightening. Other duties may include ensuring work complies with factory standards, attending product training by the manufacturer, and safely operating equipment and tools.
An industrial mechanic maintains and repairs equipment and any other industrial types of machinery in a factory. Industrial mechanics manage the operation of machinery like production machinery, packaging equipment, and conveying systems. They need to use protective equipment like safety glasses and hardhats as well as follow safety precautions during operations. It is their responsibility to make sure that all industrial machines function well through preventive maintenance service and troubleshooting.
Alignment technicians and industrial mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Alignment Technician | Industrial Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $38,020 | $53,333 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $57,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Fremont, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | West Virginia |
| Best paying company | - | California Resources |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an alignment technician and an industrial mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Alignment Technician | Industrial Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Industrial Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between alignment technicians' and industrial mechanics' demographics:
| Alignment Technician | Industrial Mechanic | |
| Average age | 40 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1% | Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 3.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |